Genuflection
by Mr. Honeysuckle
Summary: In the author's third story, the spies face perhaps their toughest foe yet...their own minds. For when the world of real emotion has surrounded you, will you give into it now? Special thanks to Capm for proofreading!


Genuflection

Act I. The Games People Play

Alex set her tray on the conveyer belt and caught up to her two best friends, Clover and Sam. They'd had a good lunch, one that topped off an equally good morning. They had defeated Mandy and her team in an exhibition style softball game during phys. Ed. Class a period ago, and the girls were quite pleased with there performance.

"Man," Clover said, grinning, "did you see the way I slid into home plate with the winning run, **right** under Mandy's tag. I totally kicked some butt this morning!"

"Um, hello, Clover," Alex nudged her friend with her left elbow, "aren't you forgetting something? **I** was the one who drove you in from second base by doubling into the right field corner!"

"Okay, okay," Clover said, "I can take a hint!"

"Girls," Sam put in, "I'd say all of us won. We put in a great team effort today…all nine of us. And I'd say Corinne pitched a decent game, wouldn't you?"

"Geez," Alex chuckled, remembering the game, "if her sinker's dropping like that now, I'd hate to bat against her in college!"

"Well, you can bet a month's worth of lattes **Mandy** and those clones of hers sure hated it!"

"Yeah," Sam said, "it was a good game. And the best part'll be seeing our names on that bulletin board in the main hall near the cafeteria, where everyone else can see them!" Unfortunately for the spies, their victory celebration was short-lived. Mandy and her two friends appeared around the corner, followed closely by Edith Kappa-Taite, the girls' gym teacher.

"There they are," Mandy said nasally, "those three little viruses cheated me out of a much-deserved win today! Tell them they didn't win, Ms. Kappa-Taite!"

"Mandy," Clover said, making little effort to restrain her smugness, "as if this were possible, you're actually making less sense than usual! We won that game fair and square! Alex drove in the winning run and you know it!" To strengthen her point, Clover patted her friend on the back and smiled widely at her.

"I don't think so, bat girl!" Mandy said snidely, "you losers used doctored bats to win that game! Alex**andra** couldn't hit a beach ball with a tennis racket!"

"You better take that back you little spore!" Clover started to lunge for Mandy when Sam held her back.

"Clover, don't!" Sam said sharply, "is Mandy, of all people, really worth it?"

"That little witch is lying!" Clover said, struggling feebly against Sam's grasp, "pleeeeeease, Ms. Kappa-Taite, you know we won that game fair and square, so you can just post the names of the winning team on the bulletin board in the main hall, right?"

"Why don't you just show Ms. Kappa-Taite those corked bats and face the music, Clover!" Mandy said with conceit.

"There's no cork, Mandy," Sam said, beginning to lose patience herself, "get over it, will you?"

"Girls," Ms. Kappa-Taite said, and the girls could have sworn they saw remorse in her eyes for a split second, "I'm sorry, but these **are** very serious accusations. I'm afraid we're going to have to postpone displaying your names until we make absolutely sure there's no cork in those bats."

"Ms. Kappa-Taite, pleeeeeeeease!" Clover squealed desperately, "we didn't cork those bats! You're not going to believe that little snot over us, are you?"

"I'm…sorry, Clover," Ms. Kappa-Taite said with even more regret apparent in her voice, "I'm afraid I have no choice. Mandy **is** following the rule and making the charge in front of those she's accusing, so I have to investigate. If there is no cork in the bats, you'll be clear as crystal!" With that, she turned on her heel and walked back the way she and Mandy had come.

"Nooooooo!" Clover instinctively threw her book bag to the ground, "it's not fair!"

"I know, Clover," Mandy said, smirking stupidly, "putting cork in one's softball bat is **so** childish! Didn't your mommy ever teach you that cheaters never win?" "Yeah, and I'm Mark McGwire," Clover sneered.

"And I'm Derek Jeter," Sam added.

"Sammy Sosa, pleased to meet you!" Alex finished. Mandy and her friends left, cackling wildly over their shoulders. Clover took that moment to snap. She fell to her knees, sobbing dejectedly. Alex and Sam knelt down beside her, putting an arm each around her heaving shoulders.

"Oh, come on, Clov," Sam said, "it's just a stupid game anyway. I mean, if Mandy really wants a silly softball game that badly, let her have it, right? What will she really gain in the long run?"

"That's not the point, Sam," Clover said frantically through her tears, "Mandy always gets away with this garbage! Why does she hate me so much! Besides, whose side're you on, anyway!"

"I'm not on anyone's side except yours, Clover," Sam reassured her, "all I'm saying is that one game doesn't make Mandy queen of the universe."

"But…but…" Clover was crying harder now, "Mandy always gets us!" Alex was beginning to lose control herself, seeing her best friend in such pain, whether or not it was justified.

"I…I can hit well, can't I?" she asked, the tears beginning to flow down her own face.

"Oh, Alex," Sam said, reaching over and pulling Alex closer to herself and Clover, "of course you can. You don't actually believe what Mandy said, do you?"

"It's not fair!" Clover said, her voice getting lower and lower with her increased dejection, "Mandy's had it in for me from the day she met me! What did I ever do to her?"

"You…you didn't do anything, Clover," Sam said, "I don't know what Mandy's problem is. All I know is that one game doesn't make Mandy our superior, that's all. Look, let's go get cleaned up, and maybe later we'll go for lattes or something."

"Can…can we go to the Coffee Consortium?" Clover and Alex asked in unison.

"Of course," Sam chuckled, "where else would we go?"

"I'd still like to really get Mandy for what she did," Clover said as she and the other spies wiped their faces with facecloths from their backpacks.

"We can't worry about that, Clover," Sam said. And it was true. The next moment, one of the floor drains yawned open and swallowed the three of them whole.

"The only thing that worries me is never knowing when Jerry's gonna do this to us!" Sam shouted over the rush of air. Moments later the girls landed on a comfort in front of Jerry's desk.

"Hello, girls," Jerry said, "glad you could slide in here for a time."

"Aaaaarrrrrgggggghhhhh!" Clover gritted her teeth.

"Um, Jerr," Sam put in quickly before Jerry could ask what was wrong, "that might not be such a good choice of words given our current situation."

"Oh," Jerry said with only slight contrition, "well I'm ever so sorry. It's just that you three have a new mission to tackle."

"Right, Jerr," Sam said, assuming her businesslike air, "whatta ya got for us?"

"Well, girls," Jerry began, "it would appear that diamonds are no longer anyone's best friend, nor rubies, emeralds, gold, or any other precious metal, for that matter. It seems that lately jewelry being bought by people for their loved ones is making the recipients sad rather than happy. An example, if I may." The lights went down, and the girls saw footage on a monitor on the back wall of an unnamed mall. A young man had just bought a diamond necklace for a young lady by his side. He had placed the necklace around her neck. To the girls' shock and utter horror, the young lady began crying uncontrollably and for no adequately explainable reason.

"Good grief," Clover said, shuttering, "can you imagine a gift like that making you upset? The only thing that'd make me cry is if someone gave Mandy a gift like that in front of me!"

"Yes, well, that's the problem, Clover," Jerry continued, "and it will be your job to find out who's selling that jewelry."

"And we start our search…where?" Clover said in mild exasperation. Jerry pressed a button and the girls were gone.

"Oh, wherever you land will be fine," Jerry said, grinning.

"Okay, I really, really don't know how much more of that I can take," Clover said, wincing as she got up from the sitting position she'd landed in on impact. The girls were outside the Beverly Park Mall.

"Well," Sam said, "since we all agreed to do the latte thing, we might as well make the most of our situation, right?" As the girls entered the mall, however, something caught Sam's eye across center court. Precious Moments Jewelers? she thought quizzically to herself.

"Listen, girls," she said to her companions, "go on ahead. I…I'll catch up. It is my mom's birthday today, and I honestly forgot to get her something. I'll be right there.

"Okay," Clover said, "you know where to look."

"See ya, Sam," Alex called jovially over her shoulder. Sam started off across the mall toward the kiosk she'd spied, noticing what appeared to be a very frightened young girl standing behind the counter. As Sam approached, the young girl seemed to flinch momentarily, and then straightened with some effort.

"H…hello," the girl said, her voice shaking slightly, "can…can I help you with anything at all?"

"Um, yes," Sam said, not knowing how to react, "I…I'm looking for a birthday gift for my mother, and I was wondering what you might have."

"Oh, well you've come to the right place. We have everything you could possibly want. I'll give you anything. You name it, and it's yours." The girl was sweating some now, and Sam took note of this.

"Well," Sam continued as if nothing had happened, "do you have anything in emerald I could…"

"Oh, of course, ma'am," the girl said, almost too quickly, "what would you like. A necklace? A bracelet? Earrings? A ring, perhaps? We have everything you could…"

"Just…can I see a necklace, please?" Sam was really starting to worry about what might happen.

"Right away, miss!" the girl practically lunged over to a row of pegs on a wall. She snatched a necklace off its peg and thrust it into Sam's outstretched hands. Sam looked at the necklace. She was surprised. The chain was beautiful, studded with emeralds, and with some silver inlay.

"My goodness," she breathed, "this is…gorgeous. My mother will love this. But…how much is it?"

"For you, miss," the girl said, "just ten dollars if you buy it right here, right now!"

"Ten dollars," Sam said pensively, "I dunno. That's awfully inexpensive for an emerald neck…"

"We're having a sale!" the girl practically shouted at her, "…everything's marked way down. Manager's orders."

"Is your manager available?"

"Nope," the girl said quickly, "absolutely can't be bothered. He's…putting in a purchase order for a shipment of opal earrings as we speak. Now did you want that necklace, or didn't you?" Sam thought a moment. Ten dollars was awfully inexpensive for a necklace. Still, her mother's birthday was today. What harm could it do?

"Okay," she said finally, causing the girl to cease shifting from foot to foot, "I'll take it!"

"Oh, that's wonderful!" the cashier squealed, opening the cash drawer and plucking a ten-dollar bill from Sam's outstretched hand, "I promise you won't regret this!" The girl hastily placed the necklace inside a small velvet box and thrust it into Sam's palm.

"I…I hope you enjoy it," the girl said with more enthusiasm than Sam thought necessary, even for a jewelry store salesclerk. Nonetheless, Sam carried the small, dainty box away with her and joined her friends for their promised latte. What she didn't see might have solved the whole mystery for all three spies. A familiar looking man appeared from behind a partial wall in the back of the kiosk and approached the young woman.

"Well, well, well, Mindy," he said, "you're doing quite nicely. That last sale was your best one yet. Y'know, I may just have to promote you to…assistant manager!"

"Oh my gosh," the girl practically jumped into his arms, "are you serious, Mr. Tins. Am I really doing that well? I mean, I didn't think I was making that good a sales pitch and stuff and…well…I dunno. Oh, Mr. Tins, can I really be assistant manager?"

"Only if you get the heck off me and continue to prove your usefulness to me!" the man grunted, pushing the girl off of him.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" the girl squealed, "I promise I'll do the best job ever! I'll never, ever make you mad or anything. I only want to make?"

"Only if you get the heck off me and continue to prove your usefulness to me!" the man grunted, pushing the girl off of him.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" the girl squealed, "I promise I'll do the best job ever! I'll never, ever make you mad or anything. I only want to make **you** happy, Mr. Tins. I'll do anything to make you happy. Heck, I'd even jump off the Golden Gate Bridge!"

"Very good," the man grinned in a sinister fashion at her, "very good indeed!" My plan is working perfectly, he added to himself.

Act II. Not So Precious Gems

Later that afternoon, Sam stood before her mother in the Simpson kitchen.

"Listen, mom," Sam said, somewhat sheepishly, "I just bought this for you today, but…well…I hope you like it." Sam was never one who had an easy time with niceties such as gift-giving. Mind you, she always wanted to please whenever she could, but now she fumbled for words.

"Oh, Sam," Gabby said opening the box, love for her daughter blazing in her eyes, "it's…it's beautiful. Wherever did you get such a beautiful necklace?"

"Um…well…" Sam struggled, "they had this new jewelry store at the mall and…well…I knew I hadn't gotten you anything yet and…it just seemed so perfect, that's all."

"Oh, Sam," Gabby said, throwing her arms about her daughter and holding her close, "this is…this is…the most wonderful gift anyone's ever given me!" The tears began streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh, mom," Sam said, squirming slightly. It was hard for Sam to feel the appropriate emotion at times like this. She didn't really know why.

"May I…try it on, sweetie?" Gabby asked.

"Oh, of course, mom," Sam said. Gabby put on the necklace. To Sam's dismay, however, Gabby's eyes widened. A painful tingling began running around her neck. Horrible images began flooding her mind: the other girls beating her up in the school yard because she was slightly overweight, her boss firing her from a high-paying, very rewarding job because of a minor technical violation, her mother constantly telling her how to raise Sam and telling her what a bad job she was doing when she didn't raise Sam exactly as she saw fit. Again, Gabby began to sob, but this time, Sam knew something was wrong.

"Mom?" Sam said with concern, "wh…what's wrong, mom? Are you alright?"

"I…I don't…I don't know what's coming over me!" Gabby said frantically, "I…I feel like everything bad in my life is happening to me all over again! I…I can't understand it! I…I'm not usually like this! I thought I'd gotten past all my demons already!"

"Mom," Sam said with sickening realization, "can I see that necklace for a sec?"

"Well, sure, dear," Gabby said, "here you go." Sam helped her remove the necklace. Sure enough, Gabby stopped weeping almost as abruptly as she had started.

"W…what's going on," Gabby said, still shaking, "what's happening?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Sam said with decision in her voice, "but I plan to find out. Listen, mom, do you mind if I take this necklace and examine it more closely?"

"Well…no, dear," Gabby said hesitantly, "I…I guess not."

"Thanks, mom," Sam said, pocketing the necklace and kissing her mother, whispering a birthday wish in her ear before she ascended to her room.

Sam sat in her room, shaking slightly. Her mother had been sobbing. Sam didn't see her mother cry that often, but when she did, it was quite painful to watch. She drew the necklace out of its case and scanned it into her compowder. She then placed a call to Jerry.

"Oh, hello, Sam," Jerry said cheerily, "how's it going for you?"

"Not good, Jerr," Sam said, "I need you guys to analyze the necklace I just scanned in. I think it might be a clue to this whole jewelry fiasco."

"Sure thing, Sam," Jerry promised, "I'll get the lab results back to you ASAP."

"Thanks, Jerr," Sam cut the connection. Well, she thought to herself decisively, while I'm waiting, I think it's time for a little scientific investigation! Sam placed the necklace back in the jewel box and slipped it into the breast pocket of her light green blouse.

At Beverly Hills High, Sam found the science department's chemistry teacher, Philip DiLucci, drinking a Coke in the teacher's lounge.

"Mr. DiLucci," Sam said, causing him to look up startled, "hi!"

"Samantha," Philip looked up, quite surprised to see one of his best pupils standing in the teacher's lounge, "what on earth brings you back to school at this hour. I know you love learning, but…"

"Listen, Mr. DiLucci," Sam said, "I know this is a strange request, but is there any chance I could use the lab's spectral analyzer? It's…actually kind of important."

"The spectral analyzer?" Mr. DiLucci was too surprised to say anything more, "but…whatever for, Samantha?" Sam found herself drawing the jewel box out of her breast pocket. She held up the necklace she had given her mother.

"Samantha," Mr. DiLucci said, clearly torn now, "this is…highly unusual. You want to use the $10,000 spectral analysis equipment to look at a piece of jewelry?"

"Please, Mr. DiLucci," Sam thought quickly, "I…I was hoping maybe I could do an independent project…y'know…since I love science and all?"

"Well," Mr. DiLucci, "I must say, Samantha. I do admire your enthusiasm for the scientific. Okay, Samantha, follow me." He led Sam into an antiseptic-smelling lab down the hall a ways from the teacher's lounge.

"Well, here you are, Samantha," said Mr. DiLucci snapping on the fluorescent lights, "let me just get the equipment warmed up and we'll go to work." It took only a few minutes for the equipment to achieve full functionality.

"Now then, Sam," Mr. DiLucci motioned for Sam to hand him the necklace, "let's have a look at this necklace of yours." Sam watched as he ran the necklace through some tests using the analyzer. Without warning, the analyzer emitted a loud beep that startled both teacher and student.

"What the…" Mr. DiLucci tore a print-out from a document machine connected to the analyzer, then gasped.

"Desperium!" he spat the word out as though it were a mouthful of cod liver oil.

"Desperium?" Sam regarded him with uncertainty.

"Desperium is a very rare element," Mr. DiLucci continued, his amazement growing with every passing second, "so rare, in fact, that almost nothing is known about it. All we know is that somehow the element reacts with human pheromones to manipulate human emotion. No one's been able, up to this point, to figure out why. I read a short article on it recently by a guy out at MIT. They're still doing research on it out there last I heard."

"Wow!" Sam breathed, "that explains…" She stopped short. She couldn't risk telling Mr. DiLucci…not now, at least. Getting him involved was much too risky, even if he **could** help her.

"Explains what?" Mr. DiLucci probed, "Samantha, is there something you're not telling me?" Again, Sam had to think fast.

"It explains why this necklace felt so heavy in my hand," she finally lied.

"Yes, well," Mr. DiLucci said, "I think it would be best if **I** hung on to this little gem." He chuckled at his own joke.

"Thanks, Mr. DiLucci!" Sam shouted over her shoulder as she bolted from the room. It was time to call Jerry, Clover, and Alex.

"Hey, Jerr," Sam said excitedly as his image appeared on her compowder, "I found out something about that necklace I showed you earlier."

"Really?" Jerry said, "that's a coincidence. I just received the lab results in my office a few moments ago. What did you find?"

"It turns out the necklace is made from a rare metal called desperium. My chemistry teacher told me not much is known about it, although some research has been done."

"That's right," Jerry confirmed, "that's what our analysis returned also. We also found out that pieces of jewelry are being mass-produced using the substance at a production plant up near Pomona. It's being marketed under one of a few pseudonyms for desperium, halcyonic diamond."

"Halcyon is a symbol of peace from Greek mythology," Sam mused, "so that would be the perfect name to disguise desperium's true effect! Thanks, jerr!"

"No problem, Sam," Jerry replied, "I've sent a chopper out to pick you three up. You should meet in back of the Beverly Willscher Hotel in about fifteen minutes. There'll be gadgets available for you on board. Good luck, girls." Jerry gave Sam a thumbs-up sign and disappeared.

About fifteen minutes later, the spies stepped out of Sam's car and slipped around to the back of the hotel. A chopper was already waiting for them there, so they boarded. On board they found a storage locker containing some spy equipment.

"Let's see," Sam said, rummaging through the items, "jetpack backpacks, laser lipsticks, anesthetic hairspray…LEND? What…the heck…is LEND? She opened the small box, which looked much like the one her mother's necklace had come in, and saw another necklace. She tried it on. Fortunately, the tingling sensation she felt wasn't painful this time.

"Wow," this is unreal," Sam mused, "what does it mean though?" She flipped the box over and read it.

"Light and energy necklace deflector?" She shrugged and put the box into the breast pocket of her jumpsuit.

"Seriously," Clover agreed, "is it okay that I'm developing acrophobia?"

"Clover," Sam said to her, "we're barely off the ground. How can you possibly be afraid of how high we are?"

"Who said anything about height?" Clover stared back at Sam, "I'm just getting tired of all these cheesy WOOHP acronyms." Sam and Alex groaned at her. The flight went on without further incident. The girls touched down in front of a round white building with a pointed roof.

"Y'know," Clover observed, "I've seen my share of sci-fi movies, but this is still more creepage than I ever cared to see, even in real life."

"It's definitely the stereotypical mad scientist's hideout, that's for sure," Alex agreed.

"Well," Sam concluded, "mad scientist or no, it's time for these chicks to do a little spying!" The girls circled the building until they found an entrance. Unfortunately, the way appeared to be blocked. A sign next to the sliding door read: MOTION DETECTOR LASER BARRIER. ALARMS WILL SOUND IF BREACHED.

"Ah, wonderful," Clover said, "why can't villains just be nice for a change and let us in through the front door like the rest of the civilized world?"

"Because, Clover," Alex chided, "that would make them civilized." Sam scanned the area around them and spied a metal grate set into the ground. An engraving set into the small concrete perimeter read: SEWER ACCESS.

"You guys **do** realize just how totally eighties this whole ninja turtle thing is, don't you?"

"I don't think we have a choice at this point, Clover," Sam said.

"Yeah, but how do we get in?" Alex wondered.

"With a little melting action," Sam said, whipping out her laser lipstick, training it on the metal covering and firing it. When the smoke had cleared and the girls coughing had subsided enough for them to breathe normally again, they all slipped into the passage below. The water, though sewer water, was reasonably clean. A few small insects floated past them as they trudged through the dark passage.

"Eeewww!" Clover winced as a small earwig-like creature flew past her head, "did I ever tell you guys how much I hate bugs? Eeewww!"

"Yeah, Clover," Alex said, "only every other mission!"

"I think insects are the least of our problems right now," Sam said pointing down the tunnel, "look at that!" The others followed her finger down the passage to what appeared to be a fence made completely of bars of laser light.

"Oh, brother," Clover said, "what's gonna happen? We're gonna break the barrier and an alarm'll go off? Old school much?"

"I don't know," Sam said, "but let's not take any chances. I think there's just enough room for us to crawl underneath that bottom laser shaft. Whatever you do, don't let that laser touch you. The girls tried to heed Sam's admonition. Unfortunately, however, Clover, who was bringing up the rear, stood up too quickly. The laser cut into her back just below the nape of her neck. Without understanding why, Clover began crying uncontrollably.

"What…what's happening to me?" Clover gasped between sobs, "I…I feel like everything bad I ever experienced is happening to me again! I…I can't go on! You girls just go without me! I…I can't stand it!"

"Clover," Sam said, realizing what her friend's predicament meant, "it's okay. I think I can help."

"What?" Clover looked at Sam in disbelief, "how can you possibly help me. Nothing could possibly make me stop crying. I…I don't know why, I just can't…" Clover seemed…and felt…inconsolable. Nonetheless Sam drew out the necklace from the storage locker and placed it about Clover's neck. Immediately, Clover stopped crying. It was as though a switch had been flipped…could be flipped at will to make her feel a certain emotion.

"I…I don't get it, Sam," Alex looked at her companion in frightened confusion, "how did that happen?"

"I…I'm not sure. The same thing happened to my mother this afternoon when I gave her that necklace from the mall. I have a hunch it was made here, just like all the other pieces of jewelry."

"But what does jewelry have to do with a shaft of energy?" Alex mused.

"I'm not sure," Sam replied, "but I guarantee you we **will** find the answer."

"I just wanna know who would do something like this? I mean…what do you really gain just from making people sad? It's harder to take over the world just by making people sad, isn't it?"

"I don't know, girls," Sam said finally, "that's why we're here."

Act III. Misguiding Light

"We'd all better put on our LENDs for the rest of the journey," Sam said, placing her own necklace around her neck, "we don't want to risk anything like this happening too much. We'll never be able to focus otherwise."

"Yeah," Clover said, "I mean, I never thought I'd say this, but I don't wanna feel **anything** right now." Alex donned her own necklace and the three continued on down the passage. At the end was a ladder leading up into the ceiling.

"Guess the only way is up," Sam said, and they ascended into a brightly lit hallway surrounded on three sides by a wall of sterile-looking white brick. At the other end of the passage the girls found themselves at a three-way intersection.

"Now what?" Alex wondered.

"Now, we split up," Sam said, "I'll take the left passage. Alex, you and Clover take the passage to the right." The spies parted ways and headed off in different directions.

Sam continued to follow the hallway and, fortunately, didn't have to worry about choosing which direction to turn in. The passage continued leading deeper into the complex until, at last, she arrived at a door at the end of a long, plain white hallway. On the door a sign read: DESPERIUM RESEARCH LABORATORY. DOCUMENTS IN CABINET. Well, it's probably locked, Sam thought, but when she tried the knob the door opened without so much as a squeak. Brother, she thought, if this is Lumiere all over again I'm going to scream. She scanned the room, but saw no sign of anything unusual. There were a few machines scattered about the room, including one that looked rather like the particle accelerators she'd seen in her science textbook. I can only imagine what they use **that** for, she mused. At the far end of the room, as the sign had promised, was a small metal filing cabinet. Approaching, she again tried the handle. The cabinet pulled out without any effort. Inside was one solitary and very thin manilla folder. She removed it, placed it on a workbench set against one wall, and sat on a metal stool to begin reading it. At the end of the document was a brief summary of the research conducted so far. It read:

The tests on molecular structure and reactivity have revealed some startling facts about this new element. Desperium, best classified as a rare earth metal, interacts with the human body's complex chemistry by, among other things, causing molecular deterioration of endorphins and dopamine produced in the brain. When this happens, the mind's faculties are severely impaired, and it becomes deceived. It cannot but recollect memories of such destructive events in the subject's life as to cause great emotional turmoil. It has also been found that the desperium atom, when accelerated in a chamber and fired at speeds in excess of fifteen times the speed of sound, gains a kind of energy whose nature has an effect similar to that of a desperium atom. The advantage of atomic acceleration in desperium is that targets may be affected from a much greater distance, eliminating the requirement to apply the desperium by force and at close proximity. The research facility has been equipped with miniature acceleration chambers which fire desperium atoms back and forth at very high velocities, creating a kind of laser barrier that, if breached, causes the offending subject to suffer the desired emotional trauma. It is hoped that these findings will benefit my research and, through the appropriate avenues, bring the global community to a uniform understanding of the power of emotion in human relations, an understanding sadly lacking at present. Signed,

Sam gasped in horror. Eugene Snit! She whispered, aghast.

"Why, yes," said an all-too-familiar voice, "now I know why people say you're such a wonderful student!" Sam wheeled. Sure enough, Eugene Snit stood in the center of the room, flanked by four very strong and very nasty-looking henchmen.

"And, yet again," Sam said sarcastically, "the blindingly obvious choice gives me a slap in the face!"

"So, Samantha," Snit sneered, "still can't keep your nose out of other people's business, can you?"

"Is it even worth asking why you're doing this to people?" Sam wondered aloud, "I mean, what's the point?"

"My girlfriend dumped me twenty years ago, as you know. Well, I haven't had love since, and I thought it was time the world's people knew just how strong and complex their emotions could truly be! No one feels remorse, pain, suffering. We're all selfish clods, every last one! Well, if no one cares how I feel, maybe I'll just have to show them what true emotion is!"

"Right," Sam glared at him, "by using psychological manipulation to get what you want? Juvenile much?"

"Silence!" Snit shouted, "this is exactly what I'm talking about! You don't care about anyone but yourself! That's the problem with people today!"

"That's not true and you know it, Snit!" Sam found herself shouting louder than he had been.

"Enough!" Snit shouted, "you will know true emotion. You **will** do my bidding! Guards, seize her!" Before Sam could react, all four guards had collared her.

"Let go of me, you jerks!" Sam grunted, struggling against her captors. It was no use, however. They hustled her out of the laboratory and back the way she had come. The sextet continued past the three-way intersection, around several more twists and turns, and finally came to a flight of stairs leading down into darkness. They marched her down the stairs. Snit flipped a light switch and the six people were bathed in more fluorescent light.

"Now then, young lady," Snit said, turning on Sam with a nasty look, "we're going to sit you here and show you just what your emotions can do! Guards, make sure our…subject…doesn't escape!" The four burly men tied Sam to a chair in the center of the room, making certain to bind her hands and feet firmly.

"Okay, Dirk," Snit said to the largest of the group, "let's give Sam some…psycho therapy…get it? Oh, I kill me!" He smirked evilly as Dirk positioned himself by the machine, his hand hovering over a black knob on the side of the machine.

"Go ahead, creep," Sam challenged defiantly, "let's see what ya got, Snit! C'mon!

"Ready, aim, fire!" Snit yelled, and a beam of light that looked like the laser bars the girls had seen earlier lanced from the machine, striking Sam squarely in the chest. When nothing happened, Dirk was ordered to increase power. When nothing happened, he turned it to full on Snit's orders. Still, nothing was the result.

"What's going on?" Snit growled, approaching Sam. He noticed the necklace around her neck. He practically ripped it off Sam's body. Sam, however, was too busy wondering exactly how the necklace had protected her from the beam's effects to be truly frightened, as she should have been. In the next instant, Sam felt a pain in her neck like she had never felt before. Horrible memories flooded her mind. She bit her lip and screwed up her face as best as she could, but the strain was becoming difficult to withstand.

"Full power!" Snit barked, and Sam snapped. She began wailing without restraint. Snit watched her for a few moments, grinning like a bobcat.

"Now then, Sam," he said after a time, "if you do my bidding, I just might stop using my mourning glow on you. Whada ya say, Sam? Wanna help me make some pretty jewelry?" Sam could hardly think. She almost wished for the sweet release of death, but thought better of it.

"Okay, okay!" she screamed, "I'll do whatever you say!"

"I thought so," Snit smiled with satisfaction, "Dirk, shut her down." Dirk did as instructed, and Sam's weeping subsided quickly.

Clover and Alex made their way through the labyrinthine hallways of the section of the research complex assigned to them. They weren't quite sure what they were looking for.

"Let's see," Clover mused, "if I were jewelry in a mad scientist's research facility, where would I hide?"

"I dunno," Alex said, "but this door looks promising." They had come to a wooden door set into one wall of the hallway they were in. It was the only door they'd seen since they'd split up. A keypad was set into the wall to the left of the door.

"So, what's the password?" Clover wondered simply.

"Um…" Alex stared blankly at the keypad.

"Um?" Clover said, "that doesn't really help us, Alex."

"Well," Alex said, "I suppose we could enter something random."

"Yeah," Clover said, "and maybe if we push on the door it'll magically pop open!" For effect, Clover pushed on the door. To her amazement, it swung open and she lunged through, crying out in surprise.

"Well," Alex chuckled, "I guess sometimes the best answer is always the simplest one!" She followed Clover into the room, letting the door swing shut behind her as she went.

As the girls scanned the room, they noticed only one thing: strings of beads hung everywhere. The beads seemed to glisten with a light all their own.

"Whoa," Clover said, "sixties much?"

"Yeah," Alex agreed, "way too much. What would a mad scientist want with all these beads?" Clover saw a display case on the back wall with a lone piece of paper behind it. What was surprising was that the page appeared to be blank.

"Well," Clover said, "I suppose we could take some of these beads with us for souvenirs. Besides, they totally match my pink angora sweater." Alex nodded in agreement, and they scooped up a string of beads apiece. As Alex did so, something caught her eye.

"Hey, Clover?" she called, "that piece of paper **was** blank, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, Alex," Clover said, "I thought even **you** figured that out."

"Right," Alex continued, "so why did I think I just saw letters appear on that page."

"Alex," Clover said, "that's ridiculous. You're seeing things **again**. Now come…" But as she turned to motion at Alex, she noticed what Alex had indicated and her mouth fell open in sheer amazement.

"What?" Clover squeaked, "that…that's impossible! Words don't just appear out of thin air! It's…it's not right!"

"Well, it looks like they do now."

"Wait a sec, Alex," Clover said, pointing at Alex's string of beads, "move your beads over just a bit." Alex did so, and more of the lettering on the page became visible while the part they had seen disappeared from view.

"Ah, so that's what they mean by disappearing ink." Alex couldn't suppress a grin.

"Either that, or it gives a whole new meaning to the expression 'turn on your heart light'." The girls approached the page and began scanning it with the beads. It read as follows:

THE HEART GEMS ARE SO-CALLED BECAUSE THEY GIVE SPIRITUAL AND PSYCHIC STRENGTH TO THEIR POSSESSOR. HEART GEMS ARE MADE FROM THE ONLY KNOWN ELEMENT WHICH CAN WITHSTAND THE ATOMIC ENERGY EMITTED BY DESPERIUM. HOPIUM IS ALSO A RARE EARTH METAL.

"Do you think that's what those LENDs are made of, Clover?" Alex asked, not necessarily expecting an answer, "they do look kinda like the LENDs Jerry gave us."

"I'm not sure," Clover responded, "but I'm not taking any chances." She pocketed the beads and moved back across the room to the door through which they had come. Alex followed her, pocketing her own string of beads.

When they reached the door, however, they found that it would not budge as it had done before.

"Oh, come on, spies," a familiar voice said, "you didn't really think I'd let you back OUT, did you? This is my little Hotel California. You won't be leaving for a long time, girls, so you might as well make yourselves at home!"

"Eugene Snit?" Clover sneered, "didn't we lock you up, just like we did every **other** villain we've ever captured?"

"Oh, of course you did, girls," Snit replied, "but that doesn't mean I actually **stayed** there."

"How do you know where we are?" Clover asked.

"Oh, come now, my dear," Snit mocked, "you make it sound like I've never heard of surveillance equipment!"

"Sorry I asked." Clover grunted.

"Well, girls," Snit said, "enjoy your stay…forever! Vwa ha ha ha ha ha ha!" The intercom Snit had been broadcasting on snapped off, and the girls found themselves trapped.

"Great, just great!" Clover moaned, "now we're stuck here, and I'm all sweaty, and…I wanna go home." She began crying, but Alex put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay, Clover," she said reassuringly, "we'll find a way out of here. We always do. That's how these shows go!"

"Oh, right!" Clover said sarcastically, "what…maybe we could just **stomp**…AAAAAIIIIIEEEEE!" Clover had intended to stomp her foot on the floor for dramatic effect, as was her wont, but the tile she stomped gave way beneath her and sent her and Alex tumbling down a sloping shaft into a subterranean tunnel of some kind.

"Okay, y'know what?" Clover said, "would someone please start playing "The Twilight Zone" so I at least know we're in a universe where sarcasm is taken literally?"

"Either that, or would the real Jerry Lewis please step forward? But where are we?" Alex wondered.

"Alex," Clover said annoyed, "if I knew that, don't you think I'd tell you?"

"Well, we'd better start looking around." The tunnel they were in was just like the one they had been in up above. And, just like the one above them, it too ended abruptly at a wooden door set into a dead-end wall. There was no sign on this one, however.

"Well," Alex said, "nothing ventured, nothing gained."

"How about discretion is the better part of valor?" Clover retorted. Nonetheless they went inside, and immediately wished they hadn't. To their dismay they saw, standing in front of a conveyer belt and loading pieces of jewelry onto it, was their best friend Sam! The pieces of jewelry were slowly making there way down the belt toward a point where a laser shaft similar to the ones they'd been seeing in the building seemed to block the way. Nonetheless the jewelry slid under the beam and seemed to take on an eerie glow temporarily. Sitting across the room from her was one of the burly guards who had dragged Sam to the assembly line she now seemed to be working with almost robotic efficiency.

"Sam!" Clover shouted in terror, "What're you doing! Are you crazy?" At the commotion, the guard looked up. Instinctively, Clover drew out her anesthetic hairspray and pushed the nozzle down hard, emitting a controlled stream of nitrous oxide in the guard's direction. The guard fell to the floor unconscious almost instantaneously.

"Clover ran up to Sam and grasped her shoulders."

"Sam!" Clover shrieked again, "are you nuts? You're supposed to be a good guy…or good…gal…or something! It says so in your job description, remember?"

"It's…it's…I know, Clover," Sam said shakily, "it's just that, well, Snit used desperium on me and…well…now I don't know what'll happen if I oppose him. That stuff is really strong, Clover, just like human emotion. Snit's actually figured out how to manipulate people's emotions scientifically. It's hard to believe, but…" Sam sounded so resigned. It frightened Clover.

"No Sam!" she yelled, wrapping her arms around Sam's waist and pulling her away, "we can't let him get away with this!"

"Yeah, but what'll we do, Clover?" Sam sounded so defeated.

"Yes," said a voice behind them, "what**ever** will you do, spies?" Clover wheeled and saw Snit standing across from her, flanked by the three guards who were still conscious.

"What'll we do?" Clover clenched her teeth, "I'll tell you what we'll do, you little dirtbag!" She aimed her anesthetic spray at Snit and pressed the nozzle. He and his henchmen were unconscious instantly as their cohort had been.

"Alex, run!" Clover hadn't thought to warn Alex. Unfortunately, her warning came a bit too late. Alex lay beside Snit on the floor as unconscious as he.

"Oh no!" Clover cried frantically, "Alex!" She scooped up her young friend and wrapped her arms about her middle. Alex was surprisingly light.

"C'mon, Sam," Clover said, "let's get out of here."

"Alright," Sam said weakly. Clover struggled along with Alex back up the stairs. She had to be strong. Apparently, Snit had used some of the desperium energy on her. He had been using it to control her every move. One false move, and all he had to do was blast her with a shot of sad.

Act IV. Secondhand Emotions

Clover sat by Alex and Sam, keeping a close eye on them as she scanned in the so-called heart gems they'd found in Snit's laboratory. Once she finished, she replaced her compowder in her backpack and put a hand on Sam's shoulder.

"Hey, you okay?" Clover asked with concern.

"I don't think I've ever felt that weak in my life, Clover," Sam said, her eyes filled with pain, "that had to be the most frightening experience I've ever gone through. I always thought I was stronger than that. I mean, I'm supposed to be an educated person. People of learning don't let their emotions sway them."

"Really?" Clover thought about this, "so do you think Einstein ever cried, or that guy who made those cookies, or that Da Vinci code guy?"

"Their names are Newton and da Vinci," Sam corrected, "and your wit…" she couldn't suppress a chuckle of her own, "well, your wit is about as sharp as a bowling ball." Before Clover could think of a suitable come-back, they heard a propeller in the distance. It roused Alex from her unconscious stupor.

"Wha…what…happened?" she asked groggily, "where…where am I?"

"It's okay, Alex," Clover said, touching her friend's hand, "we're safe. Snit's gone now."

"Thank heavens," Alex said blearily.

As the chopper zoomed through the skies toward Beverly Hills, Jerry came into the cabin holding a print-out.

"Hey, girls," he said, "I've got the results of that scan Clover sent in. It turns out the heart gems **are** indeed made from the same material as your LENDs. The heart gems are somehow atomically enhanced. So that the effect of the hopium infused into them is stronger than under normal circumstances. I'm going to recommend Sam that you wear one of these for awhile. I think it should counteract the effects of the desperium Snit used on you."

"Thanks, Jerr," Sam said tiredly.

"Are you alright, Samantha," Jerry said with obvious concern.

"Oh, I'm fine, Jerr," Sam said, "I…I just never experienced anything quite like that before. It was…kinda…scary, y'know?"

"I understand perfectly. I'm going to approve some R&R time for you, Sam."

"But…my schoolwork," Sam protested.

"I don't think **you** need to be worrying about missed schoolwork, Samantha," Jerry said, only slightly reproachfully, "especially not at a time like this."

"Thanks, Jerr," Sam said, "you're the greatest." She leaned back in her seat and dozed off.

"So what of Snit, Jerry?" Alex asked from a small cot in the back.

"Oh, not to worry," Jerry said, "he's been locked away in a maximum-security detention center this time. He probably won't ever pull a stunt like this again. We've destroyed all the jewelry he made as well, and have some great plans to use the hopium with cancer and other terminally ill patients. It won't cure them, but it will make their lives bearable, at least."

"That's a really nice idea, Jerr," Alex said, smiling at him, "now I know why I love working for you."

"And I know why I like having you on the WOOHP team!" Jerry returned the smile.

As she had done earlier, Sam stood before her mother. This time, however, she held up a box from Zalea's Jewelers on Willscher."

"I think you'll actually like **this** one, mom," she said simply, and Gabby tried it on. Again, tears began flowing down her face.

"Mom?" had Sam done it again?

"Oh, Samantha," Gabby said, throwing her arms about her daughter, "I love you! I love you, I love you, I love you!" They held the embrace for several minutes.

"Listen, mom," Sam said, "I'm really sorry about what happened earlier. I guess I really shouldn't have procrastinated like that. Perhaps this wouldn't have happened! I should have been more careful."

"Oh, Sam," Gabby said, "I don't blame you. I think the only thing I get scared about is that you're…growing up so fast!" Her throat tightened again.

"I know you're busy and everything, Sam…but," Gabby was quite choked now, "I…I guess I miss you. I had some good memories of you when you were younger. You were such a beautiful little girl, Samantha."

"Aw, mom," Sam was beet red in an instant.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Sam," Gabby hugged her daughter more tightly.

"Mom," Sam said, looking deep into her mother's emerald green eyes, "I love you, and I'll always be your daughter. Nothing will ever change that…not memories, not sadness, not fear, not anger or pain…nothing! I love you, mom! I'll always love you!"

"Oh, Sam," Samantha was sobbing now, "I love you!" To their mutual surprise, their lips met in a long, soft kiss.

The next morning, the girls were walking to science class when they saw two familiar faces appear around the corner up ahead. Edith Kappa-Taite was practically dragging Mandy by the hair behind her.

"I believe," Ms. Kappa-Taite grunted, "that Mandy has something she'd like to tell you girls! Don't you, Mandy?"

"Um…well…I don't **think** so, Ms. Kappa-Taite," Mandy said innocently.

"Oh, but I believe you do, Ms. Van Buren," Ms. Kappa-Taite said calmly, "unless you really **want** to run laps around the gravel track until you lose your kneecaps." Mandy decided to try a different tactic. She screwed up her face and began making strange hiccuping noises.

"Pleeeeeeeeease, Ms. Kappa-Taite," she wailed in a feeble attempt at appearing contrite, "I can't run! My…my…I have this really nasty leg condition called…called…gammyosis? It's where I get tired if I run even a few steps?"

"Aha," Ms. Kappa-Taite said, trying not to snicker, "save the crocodile tears for someone who cares, Ms. Van Buren. I'm gonna make you wish you didn't have **any** legs at all!"

"Oh, and Mandy," Sam said, a hint of a smile appearing for the first time in quite awhile, "why don't you try your head games on someone with a little less intelligence than yourself."

"Oh, and speaking of games," Ms. Kappa-Taite called over her shoulder, "I've posted your girls' names on the bulletin board near the cafeteria. Congratulations on a very nicely played game the other day. You girls keep playing hard like that, and I might let you talk me into making you pinch hitters on the softball team!" She dragged Mandy away with her, and the girls exchanged smiles and high-fives.


End file.
